The Perfect Umbrella fold stroller

Pros

- nice wide and tall seat for a growing child. The footrest is deep and the space around the knob for the front wheel is just enough that really tall riders can place their feet there if they want

- the napper bar is soft, but also firm... it allows for both the umbrella fold and has two up positions so it can be closer to smaller riders and about 2" further out for bigger ones.

it's great for propping your legs up, for holding onto (if you're like my daughter, when Mommy starts going for speed, you like something to hold onto), or for attaching a carry you siena to (it makes a perfect snack tray and the siena can stay on when you fold the napper bar down and fold the stroller)

- the basket... it's both very generous for an umbrella stroller, deep for an all terrain (it's much bigger than that of my Quinny Freestyle 3-wheel), and really easy to access, even when the seat is reclined (though then you only have a couple inches, but it's enough to fit your hand in to fetch the jackets I keep in there or things I toss)

At one point, when I didn't want my Burger King King-size cup up in the Carry You Torino I got to have a parent console because my daughter was off and playing so I moved her drink to the Torino with the boys', I actually set it in the basket and, when positioned in the right height space next to the jackets, it didn't move at all when I steered the stroller around with my son in it to test the spilling possibilites

I was able to fit all 3 kids' jackets, my drink cup, my diapees and wipees, a small box of tissues (got a cold), The children's shoes and socks (my oldest wears mens size shoes... we were in the mall play area, so they had to be off), and my own jacket

if I didn't have all the socks and shoes and my own jacket in there AND the seat was upright, I could slide my diaper bag (a skiphop dash) back in so it was resting in the basket on top of other things... I just had to leave it attached with the straps so it wouldn't fall out top-first

Evenflo super-baskets... you may have met your match

- the hitch-hiker board fits so well (you do have to adjust it really wide, though, so be careful you have the arms in enough one doesn't pop out)

- the rubbery gripper-style handles are great for two or one-hand steering... I could steer it one-handed even with a child on the board.

- the canopy is awesome... great full coverage

- the zip-on sunshade provided a sweet cocoon for my son when he was resting after a fall at the park... not only keeps out the sun, but makes it like a nice room with the shades drawn... letting in enough light to see yourself, but dark enough for the pickiest napper

- the all-weather boot... my daughter LOVES this... a nice fleece disney princess hand-made no-sew seat liner/foot muff added inside it, and she's in heaven. If you put the boot on and pull the canopy forward, you'd protect the
fabric from any snow unless it was really windy and then you'd just use the rain cover anyway (we don't have snow, though, but we have cold wet rainy days... but when it was cold and drizzling, this kept Ruthie very toasty)

- haven't tried the rain cover yet, but it's included

- Easy to adjust recline mechanism... it's a one-squeeze for recline and very simple push- up and pull for putting it back where you need it.

the seat goes VERY upright if you want it, but the deep sides and wide seat make sleeping upright VERY comfy for an older toddler/preschooler

- handle height is great... very comfy for steering and the handle WIDTH is the best... I've got VERY large "melons" in front... and this is the FIRST single stroller where they don't get squeezed together AT ALL when I steer two-handed.

- It handles sand, wood mulch, grass, mud, and big bumps in the grass and other things I mentioned really well. The injury my son had at the park was a bump on the head, so he dozed off in the stroller, leaving me to push a 50lb child around the park in it... the ground was still moist, but it coasted easily through the sand (no "boxes" for the sand at this park... it's level with the grass, under all the swings, etc), over the wood mulch (in the jungle gym area), and through the wet gooey mud in the grass.. through the grass... and all the bumps around (squirrels dig all over this park)

I steered it one-handed a good bit of the time, jogged to catch up with Ruthie with it a couple times, and it performed ideally.

- the fold is easy... it's very compact... I remove the front wheel so I can still keep my Maclaren Volo for quick trips or where I need the most compact stroller possible (like when my son broke his finger... UGH)... I do use two hands to lift it because I don't bother to fasten the closers...

- wow factor... there is a definite one with this stroller... it doesn't look like any other stroller on the market... so if you're looking for something that is eye-catching and won't look like other stuff you see steered/pushed, this is a great choice. I always have
parents staring at it when I take it out... even more once I attached the hitch hiker board and my carry you stuff on... because it really does look like a miracle stroller that way to those stuck in the land of ordinary strollers and the kolcraft contours 3-wheel being the most similar thing they've ever seen.

- the seat can be easily removed for cleaning... it all zips out... very simple and easy... great for if you have a child that has an accident/leaky diaper/other mess.

- the seat pad is mesh and so it easily brushes/shakes out anything that's on it. My daughter ate a bunch of fishy crackers in it in the house one day and all I did was take out the pad (carefully to keep the mess contained).... open a back window of the house (to the back yard where the birds all haunt us), and shake it twice... two smalls
shakes... and it was spotless. It would also be easy to throw in the wash... but the best part... the VELCRO is so sturdy and well-made that it doesn't undo easily like other stroller seat liners... that pad stays RIGHT IN PLACE...
no matter what the child does... you can lift it, replace it... no horrible RIPPPPPPPIng when you remove it.. it goes easily off and even more easily on.

- Optinal Bassinet - I didn't need this feature but for anyone having a newborn, I highly recommend spending the extra to get it. The valco bassinets are famous for folding totally flat and being large, deep, and roomy, and this is the ideal way to travel with your newborn so they can lay flat and move around. It also allows the newborn to face you so that you're not stopping to check on it (I did that all the time with my first).

- Optional Carseat Adaptor - for those who don't want/need the bassinet option, this is fabulous. Also, for a quicker trip where you don't want to risk disturbing baby, it's convenient... just pop it in where you would put the napper bar and it takes about any carseat.

However, some carseats will fit UNOFFICIALLY with just the napper bar and the seat reclined to fit... so I would buy the stroller first... try it with seats and either pick one to fit or just see if you need the adaptor bar before shelling out the cash for it.



CONS
- The handles are good height, but REALLY tall people who want handles 43" and over might prefer something else.

I used to use the taller setting of handles when Jeffrey rode the back of the Peg Perego Pliko P3 and I miss it a little on the buggster, even though, like on the P3, it wasn't NEEDED... but it would make it a little more comfy.

- I have a long stride and I have to watch my stepping (keep my feet close together and not let them turn out as much as they naturally do) when the footboard is on the stroller ... not a problem for me... I don't mind... but might be for some.

- no reversible seat (I wasn't looking for one, though)

- the manual was horrible... didn't cover enough (but I understand that's a valco trait)

- it wont' take the toddler seat (I wish it would accept the toddler seat because my boys fight over the board now... if it accepted the toddler seat, I would have gotten Orange or tried to find Lime and got the toddler seat to put Ruthie in and all 3 kids could ride)

- the straps are not easy to rethread because of how they are threaded to begin with... regular plastic clips to slide through slots like on the macs would be easier... however, I do like that it enables the cleaning to be easier and for no wind to blow through the back of the stroller... with the rain cover on, I strongly suspect NO wind would access the child from front or behind.



Final thoughts

I honestly wish that this stroller was available back when My daughter was in my belly.. I would have gotten this and been able to make do with JUST this if I needed (I would have gotten the optional bassinet, by the way), because it can be a newborn stroller (either fully recline the seat, clip on the bassinet, or use the carseat adaptor that is
available), an infant/toddler stroller, and the height and width of the seat and styling make it great for the long haul.

Strollerqueen got it right when she said that this is the one stroller that can take you all the way from birth through the end of the stroller usage days. (See her thoughts on the stroller at www.strollerqueen.com)

Even better, with the hitch hiker or another board, it's easily a double for a child tall enough (my 2.5yr old can see over the canopy on the hitch hiker, so it'd just be maturity after that)

and while it wouldn't work with full recline, I suspect it would with the bassinet... and of course, if you slung baby those first months, it would work out perfectly.